The Sun and Royal Exchange insured domestic commercial and industrial buildings and their contents. The policies were copied into ledgers and include the following information: policy number, name of agent/location of agency; name, status, occupation and address of policy holder; names, occupations and addresses of tenants; location, type, nature of construction and value of property insured; premium; and renewal date.

The policy registers of the Sun and Royal Exchange remain largely unindexed, but there are two periods covered by name and place indexes. There is a card index to personal names in Sun policy registers, 1714-1731 (Ms 17817). It is arranged by county and alphabetically by name of policy holder within each county. It gives the name and occupation of the policy holder or tenant; the location of the property by county, parish or village (and occasionally street or hous). There is a photocopy of the Buckinghamshire entries at the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies in Aylesbury. The index to Sun and Royal Exchange policy registers for the period 1775-87 (Ms 24172) has been made available in microfiche form and copies given to most English record offices. There is a copy at the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies in Aylesbury. It has name, place and trade indexes. These cover the whole country, but Buckinghamshire towns are necessarily grouped together in the place index.

The Sun and Royal Exchange policies give an unrivalled picture of Buckinghamshire towns in the 18th century. The vast majority of gentry and tradesmen took out fire insurance, particularly following the disastrous fires at Buckingham and Stony Stratford. In the course of his work on Buckinghamshire towns, Julian Hunt has transcribed hundreds of fire insurance policies. Many of the policies relating to Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Buckingham, Marlow and, Newport Pagnell and Winslow have been transcribed and added to this website. The Worcestershire towns of Bromsgrove and Halesowen are also represented. More towns will follow in due course.

The London Metropolitan Archive, holds the records of both the Sun and Royal Exchange Insurance companies, both of which insured tradesmen in Buckinghamshire and Worcestershire in the 18th century. The policies of the Sun Insurance Co. survive for the period 1710-1863 (Ms 11936-7: 1262 volumes) and those of the Royal Exchange Insurance Co. cover the periods 1753-9 and 1773-1883 (Ms 7252-5: 173 volumes).

28 February 1777 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/254/380766

John Taylor in Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester skinner & leather dresser

£

On his now dwelling house only situate as aforesaid brick & tiled

100

Malthouse only adjoining

100

Two tenements only adjoining in the tenure of Bottom & Lee labourers Brick & tiled

100

_____

300

25 July 1777 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/259/386865

Thomas Bourn of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester cordwainer, mortgager & Mary Coall of the City of Worcester mortgagee

£

On a house only in Fryars Street in the City aforesaid in the tenure of Matthias Garkins labourer timber & tiled

100

23 December 1777 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/263/392677

John Callow of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester baker, in trust for Stephen & Henry Knight minors on the Talbot Inn in Bromsgrove aforesaid

£

in the tenure of Benjamin Tyrrell timber & tiled

150

Stable only adjoining brick & tiled

25

Stable only separate brick & tiled

25

_____

200

23 December 1777 Sun Fire Insurance 11936/263/392678

Joseph Rose of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester taylor & shopkeeper On his household goods in his now dwelling house only situate as aforesaid

£

brick timber & tiled

50

Utensils & stock not hazardous therein

450

_____

500

1 May 1778 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/264/398069

John Parkes at the Dolphin at Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester innholder & maltster

£

On his household goods in his now dwelling house and malthouse communicating situate as aforesaid brick and tiled

150

Utensils & Stock therein only

150

_____

300

6 August 1778 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/266/401312

Oliver Williams of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester, tanner

£

On his now dwelling house only situate as aforesaid brick & tiled

200

Stock in the warehouse near brick & tiled

80

Six tenements adjoining in the Strand in Bromsgrove in the tenure of Paul Stanton & others labourers brick timber & tiled

120

_____

400

13 November 1778 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/269/405054

Oliver Williams of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester, tanner

£

John Chambers Dorrill of Bromsgrove in Worcestershire Esq On a brick house only situate No 26 South Side of St Pauls Church Yard in the tenure of Hasker Upholder

300

18 June 1779 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/274/415153

Jane Chapeau of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester widow On her household goods in her now dwelling house situate as aforesaid

£

Brick & tiled

180

Wearing apparel therein

40

Plate therein

30

Printed books therein

50

_____

150

10 December 1779 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/278/421918

Philemon Baylis Heynes of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester butcher On two houses slaughter house & stables adjoining situate as aforesaid in the tenure of himself & John Ashmore carrier

£

brick, brick panelled & tiled

300

20 January 1780 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/280/423649

William Brooke of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester plumber & glazier On his fourteen small tenements & two stables adjoining in the tenure of labourers

£

brick & tiled

200

7 October 1776 Royal Insurance Mss7253/2/68891

William Chance sen. of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester

£

One House brick built & tiled situate in New Hall Street in Birmingham in the County of Warwick not yet inhabited

300

20 January 1778 Royal Insurance Mss 7253/3/72345

William Harrison of Beaconsfield Esq

£

On his now Dwelling House situate in Beaconsfield aforesaid

400

Household furniture therein

200

Wearing apparel in the same

100

On a House adjoining in the tenant C. Jenkinson gent

200

On a House Workshop and Stable adjoining situate at Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester tenant Mr Connard a fellmonger

100

On 2 Houses adjoining together and to the last mentioned tenants Messrs not exceeding £50 on each house

100

On a House and Stables adjoining situate near ye Turnpike in Bromsgrove aforesaid tenant Handy victualler & known by the sign of the Bucks Head

100

_____

All said Buildings being brick or brick and stone built & tiled

1,200

24 January 1780 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/280/423928

Richard Collett of Bromsgrove in Worcester shopkeeper

£

On his now dwelling house only situate as aforesaid

200

Utensils & stock therein

100

Malthouse only near

250

Utensils & stock of malt & flax therein

250

_____

All brick & tiled

800

3 February 1780 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/280/424456

Samuel Hayden of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester blacksmith

£

On his now dwelling house workshop brewhouse and stable adjoining situate as aforesaid timber & tiled

200

16 February 1780 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/280/424931

Thomas Taylor of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester glover & breeches maker On his household goods in his now dwelling house situate as aforesaid

£

brick & tiled

30

Utensils & stock therein

70

_____

100

7 March 1780 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/280/425474

James Wilkinson at Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester, mercer & draper On his household goods in his now dwelling house only situate as aforesaid

£

Brick & tiled

50

Utensils & stock therein

750

_____

800

4 January 1780 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/281/422819

William Green of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester cabinet maker

£

On his now dwelling house and house adjoining in the tenure of Mrs Yarnold situate as aforesaid

250

Household goods therein

50

Utensils & stock therein

50

Workshops adjoining behind the above

150

_____

500

4 January 1780 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/281/422820

George Healey at the Golden Cross in Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester innholder on his household goods in his now dwelling house only

£

situate as aforesaid

300

Plate therein

40

Utensils & stock therein

160

China & glass therein

20

Utensils & stock in stables granary and chaise house adjoining

80

_____

All brick & tiled

600

6 April 1780 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/283/426702

Rev. Thomas Powell of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester

£

On the Parsonage House only at Fingest in Bucks, stone & tiled

100

Barn, stable & offices only adjoining each other separate from the house part thatched

100

_____

200

4 July 1780 Sun Fire Insurance Mss 11936/284/430556

Joshua Wharton of Bromsgrove in the County of Worcester baker

£

On his house in High Street Bromsgrove in the tenure of Isaac Rench timber & tiled